“It’s over, that’s over. He’ll never be in the UFC again.” Dana White was firm in his stance when Francis Ngannou left the promotion in 2023. The Cameroonian heavyweight went on to compete in two boxing matches and signed with the PFL. Yet, earlier this year, Ngannou’s coach Eric Nicksick reignited speculation about a UFC return, noting that Ngannou’s biggest challenge still lies in the Octagon—Jon Jones. This started an exchange between the two fighters.
Jones hopped on X to write, “I’m hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested… now we’re talking. That’s a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype.” This came amid escalated demands for Jones to face Tom Aspinall. Regardless, Ngannou came out with a response pretty quickly, writing, “You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL, and we’ll finally find out who’s the king of the heavyweight.” However, after this exchange, nothing really happened.
Fast forward to earlier today, when the 38-year-old appeared in an interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. “Yes, I do,” Francis Ngannou answered when asked about whether he is pursuing a fight against Deontay Wilder. Notably, Ngannou and Wilder have long been linked for a boxing match, yet it didn’t happen. However, after ‘The Bronze Bomber’ made his comeback to boxing in June with a 7th-round knockout victory over Tyrrell Anthony, sparks flew for a fight against Ngannou.
Bilder des Jahres 2019, Sport 11 November Sport Bilder des Tages November 22, 2019, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: WBC Heavyweight Champion DEONTAY THE BRONZE BOMBER WILDER 219 lbs and Cuban slugger Luis King Kong Ortiz 236 lbs final press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at the MGM Grand. Boxing 2019: Wilder vs Ortiz: Weighin – ZUMAb35_ 20191122_sha_b35_279 Copyright: xLarryxBurtonx
“We haven’t engaged personally, but it’s going to be soon,” Ngannou explained. “We are still setting some things up, but I keep training. I’m training.” When asked whether Wilder was his top choice, Ngannou revealed the Jon Jones fight was off. “I would say so since the Jon Jones fight is off, cannot be part of [my choices].” However, the question is, why did the fight fail to get off the ground even though it would have been a lucrative event?
Francis Ngannou reveals the real reason the Jon Jones fight didn’t happen
Speaking to Ngannou, Helwani asked whether he wanted to come back to the UFC, as previous speculation had suggested. “Why would I come back [to UFC]?” The PFL star asked before adding, “I’m [under] a contract with PFL.” Even though Ngannou wants to continue fighting, possibly against Jon Jones, he is expecting the PFL to make it happen.
Credits: IMAGO
Helwani highlighted his X exchange with Jones in June, asking whether the conversations for that fight ever got off the ground, to which Ngannou exposed the reality. “No. Never got off,” he told Helwani during the interview. “The UFC [doesn’t] want any co-promotions stuff. I think even Turki [Alalshikh] tried to make that fight happen, [but it] didn’t work.”
Jon Jones had retired from MMA, but reversed his decision after Donald Trump announced plans to host a UFC event at the White House. Despite Jones’ interest, UFC president Dana White has remained firm in his stance, refusing to include Jones on the card. White cited a lack of trust in Jones and expressed concerns about the potential risks of involving him in such an event.
From the looks of it, Francis Ngannou will end up fighting Deontay Wilder next. A clash with Jon Jones was always unlikely after Ngannou’s UFC departure, and his statement has only made that even clearer. Still, do you think the Jones fight is possible?
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